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Q&A: HPE CIO Archie Deskus on digital strategy

Digital transformation is a requirement to succeed for every company, especially those who offer digital transformation software and services. In recent years, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, a $31 billion provider of digital solutions, has undergone an extensive change and is in the midst of an ongoing three-year project overseen by Archana “Archie” Deskus, HPE’s CIO at the time of writing.

Q: Given a company as dynamic and fast-changing as HPE, how is IT keeping pace?

A: Historically, there has been a lot of complexity in our IT environment, and we’re on a journey to re-architect the company, really from the ground up.

We’re focused on simplifying the way we run our business, improving execution and driving more focus around innovation.

We are able to adapt by using a hybrid agile methodology, more standardized solutions and having the right set of expertise across the teams.

Q: What are the main components of HPE’s IT transformation?

A: There are many components to our transformation, from collaboration and productivity tools, to business applications, an integrated fabric to connect our data, and security tools. One of the main components is a whole new analytics platform. Not just a platform that delivers real-time reporting, but one that also gives more insights, through intelligence, in terms of what the data is providing.

We’re also investing in building new capabilities and experiences across the enterprise. In one of those areas, we want to move to a model where more of our sales interactions are either no-touch or low-touch. For example, when a contract comes up for renewal, we want to be able to generate it automatically.

E-commerce is another such area. We want it to be a seamless experience that is more self-service, where partners and customers can go all the way from looking at products and service offerings to being able to quote, price and buy online — all in a one-stop shop. It will also allow us to gain new business opportunities we couldn’t reach before.

Folks ask me how much engagement and commitment we have. There’s no question about that. Everybody is very heavily engaged.

Q: What keeps you up at night?

A: Mainly the speed. We’re deploying something every quarter. At any point in time we have three parallel releases happening across design, development and deployment.

I also worry about balancing rapid change and daily operations. How much change can the business absorb and comprehend while still operating?

What other challenges does HPE face in its massive change effort? Read the complete Q&A with CIO Archie Deskus.